Capitals post 10th straight win over Lightning

Mar 28, 2009 - 3:17 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Even a pair of goals from Alex Ovechkin - who
kept his celebrations simple - couldn't match the emotional
impact of the winner from Brian Pothier, who scored for the
first time since a long recovery from a concussion that nearly
cost him his career.

"It's been a while and really feels good," Pothier said. "I had
to hold back the emotion a little bit, but I feel like I'm
contributing. To put one in, and an important goal, was pretty
special."

Ovechkin scored his 52nd and 53rd goals and added two assists
for the Capitals, who blew a 3-1 first-period lead before
holding on to beat the Lightning for the 10th straight time.
Ovechkin reached 100 points for the season with his second goal,
an empty-netter with seven seconds to play.

Nicklas Backstrom added his 20th and 21st goals for the
Capitals. Martin St. Louis got his 29th, and Steven Stamkos and
Vaclav Prospal also scored for the Lightning.

Pothier's career was in jeopardy after he was checked into the
boards by Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic on January 3, 2008.
The 31-year-old defenseman had headaches and dizziness for
nearly a year, and he was making little progress toward a return
until a specialist fitted him with glasses that helped fix his
vision problems. He made his NHL return on March 16 - defying
suggestions from some who suggested he retire - and continues to
do daily eye exercises.

This was Pothier's fourth game back, and his scoring shot
threaded through a crowd of players to beat goaltender Mike
McKenna high to the stick side. It was his first goal since
December 27, 2007, and the first goal scored by any Capitals
defenseman other than Mike Green in 16 games.

"I just told him, 15 months is way too long in between goals,"
Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. "You just think of the
mountain the man had to climb. If you guys knew the days he
came in - he couldn't even focus, and he just sat there and he'd
bring his kids in and he'd walked around and he'd leave. He
practiced for two straight months without getting cleared, and
he worked so hard, and to see a little bit of success happen to
him tonight was really uplifting."

Pothier was perhaps the only player who could make Ovechkin a
secondary story on this night.

The game was the first between the teams since the league's
reigning MVP sparked a controversy with a premeditated
celebration of his 50th goal in a 5-2 win at Tampa Bay on March
19. Ovechkin dropped his stick on the ice and pretended it was
too hot to touch, riling the Lightning and touching off a week's
worth of debates over whether such antics have a place in
hockey.

By the time the rematch came around, both coaches were
downplaying any notion that the last-place Lightning would seek
any revenge in any way other than perhaps trying a little extra
to break their losing streak to first-place Washington. The
Lightning's frustration played out in 10 penalties that led to
three power-play goals by the Capitals.

"They wanted to win so bad," Boudreau said. "I think we met
their push initially and we kept our calm, for the most part."

The game was less than three minutes old when Ovechkin skated
into the offensive zone with the puck and was slashed by Josef
Melichar and then almost immediately tripped by Matt Smaby.
Ovechkin slid backward into the boards, and both Lightning
players were assessed minor penalties. Ovechkin converted the
5-on-3 with a slap shot for the game's first goal, then
celebrated by thrusting his left hand into the air before he was
mobbed by his teammates.

Ovechkin and Smaby traded hits along the boards later in the
period, but Ovechkin said there was nothing out of line.

"It was a regular game," Ovechkin said. "Regular hits."

The Capitals converted another power play when a wayward shot
from Ovechkin deflected off Backstrom's skate and into the net.
A video review upheld the goal because the Swedish forward did
not use a kicking motion.

After St. Louis made it 2-1, the Capitals got another power play
when Matt Lashoff held Ovechkin during a mini-breakaway.
Backstrom backhanded a rebound during the man advantage for his
second goal of the game and was congratulated on the spot by his
teammates. McKenna and Noah Welch were upset that the Capitals
were gathered directly in front of his team's goal, and Welch
tried to break up the celebration.

The Lightning rallied to tie it with goals in the second and
third periods, but Pothier's unlikely score settled the game.

"We played hard tonight," St. Louis said. "Unfortunately, we
didn't get the result. But I think if we play like that with
that kind of desperation and intensity game-in and game-out,
we'd be very happy."